Demographics
Historical population
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|
| 1920 | 2,132 | | — |
|---|
| 1930 | 4,129 | | 93.7% |
|---|
| 1940 | 3,000 | | −27.3% |
|---|
| 1950 | 3,454 | | 15.1% |
|---|
| 1960 | 6,424 | | 86.0% |
|---|
| 1970 | 11,233 | | 74.9% |
|---|
| 1980 | 20,264 | | 80.4% |
|---|
| 1990 | 29,627 | | 46.2% |
|---|
| 2000 | 35,910 | | 21.2% |
|---|
| 2010 | 39,996 | | 11.4% |
|---|
| 2020 | 39,644 | | −0.9% |
|---|
| 2025 (est.) | 42,608 | [8]  | 7.5% |
|---|
|
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 39,644 across 14,433 households and 9,837 families. The median age was 42.2 years. 22.0% of residents were under the age of 18 and 20.7% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 113.2 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 113.9 males age 18 and over.[13][14]
The racial makeup of the county was 68.9% White, 8.6% Black or African American, 1.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 10.1% from some other race, and 10.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 24.9% of the population.[14]
63.6% of residents lived in urban areas, while 36.4% lived in rural areas.[15]
Of the 14,433 households in the county, 30.5% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 45.8% were married-couple households, 20.4% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 25.6% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 26.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[13]
There were 18,484 housing units, of which 21.9% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 73.4% were owner-occupied and 26.6% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.5% and the rental vacancy rate was 10.6%.[13]
Racial and ethnic composition
Okeechobee County, Florida – Racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
| Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) |
Pop 1980[16] |
Pop 1990[17] |
Pop 2000[18] |
Pop 2010[19] |
Pop 2020[20] |
% 1980 |
% 1990 |
% 2000 |
% 2010 |
% 2020 |
|---|
| White alone (NH) |
17,448 |
23,940 |
25,699 |
26,258 |
24,671 |
86.10% |
80.80% |
71.57% |
65.65% |
62.23% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) |
1,696 |
1,875 |
2,796 |
3,117 |
3,318 |
8.37% |
6.33% |
7.79% |
7.79% |
8.37% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) |
79 |
127 |
148 |
287 |
263 |
0.39% |
0.43% |
0.41% |
0.72% |
0.66% |
| Asian alone (NH) |
63 |
148 |
228 |
345 |
332 |
0.31% |
0.50% |
0.63% |
0.86% |
0.84% |
| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH) |
x [21] |
x [22] |
14 |
25 |
14 |
x |
x |
0.04% |
0.06% |
0.04% |
| Other race alone (NH) |
16 |
44 |
24 |
28 |
146 |
0.08% |
0.15% |
0.07% |
0.07% |
0.37% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) |
x [23] |
x [24] |
317 |
375 |
1,043 |
x |
x |
0.88% |
0.94% |
2.63% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) |
962 |
3,493 |
6,684 |
9,561 |
9,857 |
4.75% |
11.79% |
18.61% |
23.90% |
24.86% |
| Total |
20,264 |
29,627 |
35,910 |
39,996 |
39,644 |
100.00% |
100.00% |
100.00% |
100.00% |
100.00% |
2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 39,996 people, 13,857 households, and 9,016 families residing in the county. The population density was 46 inhabitants per square mile (18/km2). There were 15,504 housing units at an average density of 52 per square mile (8/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 87.9% White, 8.6% Black or African American, 1.3% Native American, 0.9% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, and 1.2% from two or more races. 24.5% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
2005 estimate
In 2005 68.5% of the county population was White non-Hispanic, 21.6% of the population was Latino, 8.0% was African-American and both Native Americans and Asians constituted 0.9% of the population.[25]
2000 census
In 2000 there were 12,593 households, out of which 30.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.50% were married couples living together, 10.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.40% were non-families. 21.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.07.
In the county in 2000 the population was spread out, with 25.20% under the age of 18, 9.50% from 18 to 24, 27.10% from 25 to 44, 21.90% from 45 to 64, and 16.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 115.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 115.20 males.
Politics
Prior to the Civil Rights Act, Okeechobee County followed the Solid South pattern of voting Democratic, making an exception in 1928 amidst Southern skepticism to Democrat Al Smith's Northern Catholicism. The only non-Republicans to carry Okeechobee County at the presidential level after John F. Kennedy in 1960 were Independent segregationist George Wallace of Alabama (which borders Florida) in 1968 as well as Southern Democrats Jimmy Carter of Georgia (another neighboring state of Florida; 1976 and 1980) and Bill Clinton of Arkansas (1992 and 1996).
Today, Okeechobee County — in line with other Florida Heartland counties — is a rock-ribbed Republican stronghold, with the last Democratic presidential candidate to win the county being Clinton in 1996, the last to be competitive in the county being Al Gore in 2000 (who lost the county by less than 5%), the last to win at least 40% of the county vote being John Kerry in 2004, and the last to win so much as 30% of the vote being Barack Obama in 2012.
Voter registration
According to the Secretary of State's office, Republicans are a majority of registered voters in Okeechobee County.
| Okeechobee County Voter Registration & Party Enrollment as of July 31, 2022[31] |
|---|
| Political Party |
Total Voters |
Percentage |
|
Republican |
11,423 |
50.68% |
|
Democratic |
6,211 |
27.55% |
|
No party affiliation |
4,550 |
20.19% |
|
Minor parties |
355 |
1.58% |
| Total |
22,539 |
100.00% |
